Loyalty to the Muslims

All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger; may Allaah exalt his mention, as well as his family and all his companions.

Allaah Almighty forbade the believers from being allies of the disbelievers even if they were our blood relatives, like fathers or sons. As long as they remain enemies of Allaah, a Muslim is commanded to disown them and harbor enmity towards them for the sake of Allaah. On the other hand, Islaam commands that Muslims should be loyal towards each other and love each other for the sake of Allaah, as this leads to one gaining the Love of Allaah. Furthermore, Allaah commands that the Muslims should be humble when dealing with one another and supportive of each other against the disbelievers.

A warning against loyalty and allegiance with the disbelievers: Allaah described the believers as allies of one another saying:

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ

which means: “The believing men and believing women are allies of one another”[At-Tawbah: 71]. As a matter of fact, Allaah made loyalty and allegiance to be exclusively for Him and His Messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, saying:

إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا

which means: “Your ally is none but Allaah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed”[Al-Maa’idah: 55].

Then in the next verse, Allaah informs us that the consequence of doing this is being victorious, when he says:

which means: “ … kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper”[An-Nisaa’: 89].

It is not enough for a Muslim to know the definition of Tawheed (i.e. Islaamic monotheism), but he should rather know the nullifiers of Islaam and the details of Shirk (i.e. associating with Allaah) and its practical examples. Likewise, it is not enough for a believer to be loyal towards his fellow Muslims, he must also hate and disown the disbelievers and harbor enmity towards them.

Additionally, just as Allaah commands the believers to take their fellow Muslims as allies, He also forbids them from taking the disbelievers as allies saying:

Imaam Ibn Jareer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, commented on this verse saying: “This means that Allaah is free from the one who takes the disbelievers as allies” [End of quote].

Allaah also forbade the Muslims from relying on the disbelievers, accepting them and expressing .......ment and compassion towards them saying:

which means: “O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you — then it is those who are the wrongdoers”[At-Tawbah: 23]. Therefore, even if they were fathers, sons or relatives, a Muslim is commanded to hate them and take them as enemies and to disown them, as otherwise, one would possess a quality of the hypocrites as Allaah says:

which means: “Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment. Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor [through power]? But indeed, honor belongs to Allaah entirely (i.e. He grants it to whom He wills)”[An-Nisaa’: 138-139].

which means: “You see many of them becoming allies of those who disbelieved [i.e. the polytheists]. How wretched is that which they have put forth for themselves in that Allaah has become angry with them, and in the punishment they will abide eternally. And if they had believed in Allaah and the Prophet and in what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them as allies”[Al-Maa’idah: 80-81]. Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “These verses prove that it is forbidden to take the disbelievers as allies and that taking them as allies contradicts the principles of faith” [End of quote].

which means: “O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you — then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allaah guides not the wrongdoing people.”[Al-Maa’idah: 51].

Many acts are included in the meaning of this verse, such as any type of confederation with or support to the disbelievers, which existed in Madeenah between some of the Ansaar (i.e. residents of Madeenah) and some groups of the Jews due to them having common interests and trade and so on, but this verse was revealed to forbid such coalitions and to command the Muslims to break any such treaty.

Examples of the Muslims alliance: The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, cultivated his companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, on the principle of loyalty towards the Muslims and disavowal towards the disbelievers. He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was gradual, yet consistent in this in order to assure a pure Muslim personality as the final outcome of his cultivation. A Muslim who loves and supports the believers and would disown and hate the disbelievers for the pleasure of Allaah and His messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

An example from the era of Makkah is when he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, established a meeting place for the believers to meet and get to know each other and learn their religion in the house of Al-Arqam. He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, wanted to form a solid foundation over which he would later establish the Muslim community.

In Madeenah, there are many examples that illustrate this bond, such as when the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, established the bond of brotherhood between the Ansaar and the Muhaajireen(i.e. the emigrants from Makkah) to the point that one of them would say to his brother: “Take half of my wealth”. Also some from the Ansaar left their homes for their brothers from the people of As-Suffah, to live in. The people of As-Suffah were a group of very poor Muslims who had no tribe to live with, and were living in the mosque of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and one of them was the eminent companion Ka’b Ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him.

The implications of loyalty amongst the believers: There are many things that result from such loyalty, as the matter is not merely a claim or words being uttered. The following are some of these implications:

Loving them: Loyalty towards the believers implies loving them, and this love results in the love of Allaah to the slave.

Being humble when dealing with them: A believer should be kind and lenient towards his fellow Muslim and deal with him humbly. Allaah describes the believers saying:

Supporting them: A believer supports his fellow Muslim in his presence and in his absence. This was an established fact in the hearts of the early generation Muslims, to the point that the pledge of Al-‘Aqabah had the loyalty amongst the believers to be one of the pillars of this pledge even if one has to sacrifice his wealth and soul for the sake of his fellow Muslim. Allaah praised the Ansaar saying:

وَالَّذِينَ آوَوْا وَنَصَرُوا أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقّاً

which means: “and those who gave shelter and aided — it is they who are truly the believers.” [Al-Anfaal: 74]. Abu Moosaa, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported: “The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “The relationship of the believer with another believer is like (the bricks of) a building, each strengthens the other.” He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, illustrated this by interlacing the fingers of both his hands.” [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim].

To further demonstrate the importance of this issue, the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said as narrated by Jaabir Ibn ‘Abdullaah, may Allaah be pleased with him:“Any Muslim who forsakes his fellow Muslim at a time when his honour and sanctity are being attacked will have Allaah forsaking him at the time when he needs His support the most. Any Muslim who supports his fellow Muslim at a time when his honour and sanctity are being attacked will have Allaah supporting him at the time when he needs His support the most.”[Ahmad]. This applies regardless of the color, the country he belongs to or language the Muslim speaks.

Not taking the disbelievers as allies against the believers:Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “In a narration reported by Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, Abu Moosaa, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: `I said to ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him,; I found a Christian person who is good in math and an excellent clerk, so I hired him. Thereupon, ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: May Allaah fight you! What is wrong with you, haven’t you heard the saying of Allaah:

which means: “O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you — then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allaah guides not the wrongdoing people.”[Al-Maa’idah: 51]. Couldn’t you have hired a Muslim instead? I said; O leader of the believers! I use him for his skills in writing, and he can believe in whatever he wants. ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, said to me: I will not honor those whom Allaah humiliated and will not bring close those whom Allaah distanced” [End of quote].

Such people, who were used in important positions in the Muslim governments, played an evil role in destroying the Muslim throughout history. An example for this is Ibn Al-‘Alqami the evil Raafidhi who was a main cause for the Tatars to take over Baghdad.

Another example is Abu Al-Fadhl Ibn Dukhaan, who was an excellent Christian clerk in the time of one of the Muslim Sultans. He was very close to the Sultan, but hated Islaam and the Muslims and became very influential to the point that he ruled that a Christian who accepted Islaam should go back to Christianity. He brought closer to him the Christians and gave them lofty ranks, fulfilled their needs and used them in the government.

On the other hand, he deprived the eminent Muslims from everything and would not allow them entry to his gatherings, and if he allowed them, then he would be rude and harsh with them.

This continued until a group of the Muslim scholars, clerks and judges went to the Sultan and said: “How can you trust these Christians as clerks and people to calculate the money for your government while they do not know the difference between one and three. They claim that Allaah is One in three (i.e. trinity). How can you trust that they would not deal with your money like they deal with their faith and thus give you only one Deenaar out of every three Deenars” After a while a scandal was discovered about the Christian stealing money and he was killed.

A warning to those who abandoned loyalty to the believers: Would the one who humiliates his fellow Muslim be considered as one who is loyal and supportive of him while on the other hand, he honors the disbelievers and describe them with lofty and honorable de......ions and praises them knowing that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said:“Do not greet the Jews and the Christians before they greet you; and when you meet any one of them on the road, force him to go to the narrowest part of it.”[Muslim]?

Would the one who deprives the Muslims from important positions in his company for example, and uses disbelievers instead and trusts them be considered as one who is loyal to the Muslims? Allaah informs us about them saying:

which means: “That is because they say,” There is no blame upon us concerning the unlearned.”[Aal ‘Imraan: 75]. The disbelievers from the Jews and the Christians do not consider it a sin to eat up the wealth of the Muslims and thus steal it. How can a Muslim then trust them and make them the ones in charge and control of his affairs and wealth?

Would the one who abandons the Muslim attire and adopts the attire of the disbelievers and imitates them be considered as one who is loyal to the Muslims?

Would the one who leaves the Muslim lands and countries and travels to live amongst the disbelievers, thus strengthening their economical situation and they benefit from his expertise be considered as one who is loyal to the Muslims? Those who do so are working directly against the saying of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam:“He who lives amongst the disbelievers is one of them”.

Would the one who slanders the believers and bad-mouths them while on the other hand praises the disbelievers and expresses his admiration towards them be considered as one who is loyal to the Muslims? Some Muslims admire and praise the disbelievers, their systems, culture and their civilization and write about this, and on the other hand, they describe the Muslims as backwards people and rigid and uncivilized.

Would the one who uses the disbelievers as his close advisors with whom he consults and take them as intimate affiliates instead of the Muslims be considered as one who is loyal to the Muslims? Those who do so are contradicting the saying of Allaah:

which means: “O you who have believed, do not take as intimates those other than yourselves [i.e. believers], for they will not spare you [any] ruin. They wish you would have hardship. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their hearts conceal is greater”[Aal ‘Imraan: 118].

Finally, would the one who abandons the Muslim community and becomes a part of the secular or apostate organizations and exerts his utmost to support them, be considered as one who is loyal to the Muslims? Are the actions of those who work alongside these organizations to destroy Islaam and work against the Muslims be considered loyalty to the Muslims or an act of an apostate